A new turtle pond

Next to the eastern path of the garden, whose renovation is nearly complete, a new turtle pond has been built. The location of the pond was chosen in order to enhance accessibility to the turtles, which until now were not within the main exhibit areas, and to add content and interest to the path area.

On the 1st of December, five Caspian turtles and two Nile soft-shelled turtles were released into the new pond, and they are slowly getting used to their new home. On the ground, where the pond wall is low, a basking platform has been built. A convenient path with moderate slope, which will help the turtles exit the water directly onto the basking platform, will also be built soon. Behind the basking platform typical bank vegetation is planned, to give the area a more natural look and enable the turtles to feel at home. In the future, an exhibition of red-eared sliders – an invasive species in Israel – is planned for one of the corners. The work on the turtle pond is not finished yet, and upon its completion the temporary fence will be replaced with a low and aesthetic one. The turtle ponds previously in the research area have been drained and a room for the trash container is now being built in their place.